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3/10/2019 NPR: Archaeologists Find Trove Of Maya Artifacts Dating Back 1,000 Years

Ixchel is the Mayan Goddess of the Moon, Medicine, Weaving, and Childbirth. Ixchel is often depicted as a Triple Goddess or as a jaguar. The maiden aspect of Ixchel is associated with weaving and medicine. Her mother aspect is associated with sexuality, motherhood, the moon, and fertility. Her crone aspect is associated with earth, rain, medicine, and death. It is not entirely known what her name means in the ancient Mayan laguage, but “chel” translates to “rainbow”. Other glyphs of Ixchel’s name appear to have a prefix that translates to “red”. Historians believe that this Goddess may have had a few different names associated with her. Mayan depictions of Ixchel have her wearing a headdress adorned with entwined serpents. She also has crossbones on her skirt, and oftentimes has claws instead of human hands and feet. Mayan women who wanted to secure a successful marriage or pregnancy would travel to the sacred island of Cozumel, which housed a sanctuary dedicated to Ixchel. Here they would offer the Goddess gifts like turquoise, amber, cacao beans, and other traditional Mayan offerings. This was considered a very important pilgrimage to the Mayan people. Along with being a temple, the island served as a sanctuary to women from all walks of life. It also served as an orphanage and a honey bee sanctuary. Long ago, Ixchel fell in love with the Sun, who soon became her lover. But their love affair was not meant to be, and caused much destruction on earth. The waters of the ocean rose and created a great tsunami that flooded the land. Ixchel’s grandfather became angry with his granddaughter and the destruction she had wrought on the land, and struck her down from the sky with a lightning bolt in a fit of rage. Ixchel died and fell to the earth. There she lay for thirteen days, mourned by the dragonflies until she was resurrected. But once she returned to her lover, she found him to be jealous. He accused her of having an affair with his brother, the Morning Star, to which Ixchel vehemently denied having a connection with. But the Sun’s accusations had changed something within the Goddess, so she left him to start her own life. She became an independent Goddess who helped her fellow women through childbirth and fertility. Ixchel is often called upon when all seems lost and you must find another way of being.

Correspondence Chart:

Mexica Ritual Ceremony

Indigenous Mayan women in Guatemala have passed down the tradition of weaving for over 2,000 years. But when a 36-year-long civil war in the late 20th century threatened Mayan culture, wearing traditional clothing became dangerous. In the 15 years following the war, groups of women have banded together to sustain themselves and their families through weaving. We visited a group in San Juan La Laguna to see how it is fighting to keep the craft alive.

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Micheal D. Coe